First West Foundation Supports Local Youth

First West Foundation awards grant to Take a Hike’s Delta Program  

For immediate release – COVID-19 continues to affect the mental health well-being of youth across BC. Since the beginning of the pandemic, Take a Hike has pivoted programming to ensure that youth within their programs have the mental health supports they need to thrive and work through these ever-changing times.  

Take a Hike empowers youth who experience vulnerability to change the trajectory of their lives with a full-time mental health and emotional well-being program embedded in an alternate education classroom. 

Impacts seen through Take a Hike’s program during the pandemic include: 

  • 70% of youth reported improvements in their mental health and well-being despite the on-going pandemic 

  • 81% of youth reported an increase in resilience and personal competence particularly within self-management, relationship skills, and understanding their emotions. 

  • 93% graduation rate  

First West Foundation recognized the importance of Take a Hike’s impact on youth living within Delta and awarded grant funding to allow the Delta program to continue to provide crucial mental health and well-being support to Delta youth in the 2021-22 school year. Support like this is especially impactful as the pandemic continues. 

“We are truly grateful for the support First West Foundation has given our Delta program. We look forward to the new school year beginning in September where we will be able to provide crucial mental health and well-being supports to youth in Delta as they work towards achieving success.” – Gordon Matchett, CEO of Take a Hike 

“We know how important it is for youth to have access to services and programs that support and care for their mental health and well-being” says Susan Byrom, Executive Director of First West Foundation. “We are proud to support the Take a Hike Youth at Risk Foundation with a $15,000 grant from the Envision Financial Community Endowment to help them continue providing necessary programs and services, such as their Delta Take a Hike program, for the youth in our community.” 

Sevan Kadian